Fixed Magazine Design For Semi-Automatic Weapons

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a fixed magazine design for semi-automatic weapons. In accordance with one aspect, a fixed magazine apparatus includes a magazine latch; a housing coupled to the magazine latch; a spring coupled to the magazine latch; a magnetic button coupled to the magazine latch; and a free standing magnetic tool from the magazine latch.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. § 119

The present Application for Patent claims priority to Provisional Application No. 63/108,945 entitled “FIXED MAGAZINE DESIGN FOR SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS” filed Nov. 3, 2020, with ownership to the same inventor/applicant hereof and hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to the field of automatic weapons, and, in particular, to fixed magazine designs for semi-automatic weapons.

BACKGROUND

For semi-automatic weapons how a magazine is detached and another magazine is reloaded may be an important consideration. Additionally, the amount of time it takes to reload a magazine may be vital to the effectiveness of the semi-automatic weapon. Thus, there is a need to effectively and efficiently reload a magazine in a semi-automatic weapon.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects of the present disclosure, in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure, and is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In one aspect, the disclosure provides a fixed magazine design for semi-automatic weapons. Accordingly, a fixed magazine apparatus includes a magazine latch; a housing coupled to the magazine latch; a spring coupled to the magazine latch; a magnetic button coupled to the magazine latch; and a free standing magnetic tool from the magazine latch.

These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become more fully understood upon a review of the detailed description, which follows. Other aspects, features, and implementations of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, upon reviewing the following description of specific, exemplary implementations of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. While features of the present invention may be discussed relative to certain implementations and figures below, all implementations of the present invention can include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more implementations may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used in accordance with the various implementations of the invention discussed herein. In similar fashion, while exemplary implementations may be discussed below as device, system, or method implementations it should be understood that such exemplary implementations can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a weapon with parts of the weapon listed.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a weapon with a grenade launcher and an attached binocular.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a thumbhole stock.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a bayonet lug holding a bayonet on a weapon.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a magazine latch, a spring and a bullet button combination.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a magazine latch, a magnetic button, a housing on the magnetic button with a corresponding magnetic ring.

FIG. 7 illustrates the example of the magazine latch, the magnetic button, the housing on the magnetic button with the corresponding magnetic ring shown in FIG. 6 with the housing mouth open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methodologies are shown and described as a series of acts, it is to be understood and appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of acts, as some acts may, in accordance with one or more aspects, occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts from that shown and described herein. For example, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that a methodology could alternatively be represented as a series of interrelated states or events, such as in a state diagram. Moreover, not all illustrated acts may be required to implement a methodology in accordance with one or more aspects.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a weapon 100 with parts of the weapon listed. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the weapon 100 includes a pistol grip 110. The pistol grip 110 allows the person holding the weapon 100 to control the weapon 100 during firing (e.g., during rapid firing). Rapid firing is the quick discharging of projectiles (e.g., bullets) from the weapon 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the weapon 100 also includes a barrel shroud 120. The barrel shroud 120 allows the person holding the weapon 100 to hold the barrel 121 without getting burned when the weapon 100 is during firing (e.g., during rapid firing). As shown in FIG. 1, the weapon 100 also includes a telescoping stock 130 located at the back portion of the weapon 100 to help provide structural support and control of the weapon 100 during rapid firing. The telescoping stock 130 shown in FIG. 1 is known as a telescoping stock since it can “telescope” from a more compact (i.e., folded in) position. The feature of the telescoping stock allows the weapon 100 to become more compact when the telescoping stock 130 is folded in. Thus, the telescoping feature of the telescoping stock 130 allows the storing of the weapon 100 into a more compact space.

As shown in FIG. 1, the weapon 100 also includes a magazine 140. In one example, the magazine 140 is a canister (e.g., a cylindrical structure) which attaches to the weapon 100. For example, the magazine 140 stores ammunition for the weapon 100 and feeds ammunition to the weapon 100 for firing. In one example, the ammunition is the projectile being discharged by the weapon 100. In one example, the ammunition for the weapon 100 is known as bullet(s). In one example, the magazine 140 may have a limited capacity for storing ammunition. For example, the magazine 140 may hold up to 100 rounds of ammunition. For certain usages of the weapon 100, the magazine 140 may need to be detached and re-attached to the weapon 100 after all the stored ammunition has been depleted (i.e., fired). Therefore, a reloading procedure is used to remove a depleted magazine and to attach a new magazine.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a weapon 200 with a grenade launcher 250 and an attached binocular 260. The weapon 200, shown in FIG. 2, also includes a pistol grip 210, a barrel shroud 220 over the barrel 221, a stock 230 and a magazine 240. The weapon 200 (illustrated in FIG. 2) include many similar components as the weapon 100 (illustrated in FIG. 1) as well as different components, such as the grenade launcher 250 and the attached binocular 260.

One skilled in the art would understand that the example weapon 100 and the example weapon 200, shown respectively in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, are examples only and that their various illustrated features (as they appear in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) may change or be modified and still be within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a thumbhole stock 300. There are different types of stocks. FIG. 1 illustrates one type, which is the telescoping stock 130 located at the back portion of the weapon 100. Another type of stock that weapon 100 (shown in FIG. 1) and/or weapon 200 (shown in FIG. 2) can incorporate is the thumbhole stock 300.

In one example, the thumbhole stock 300 is a stock with a hole 310. The hole allows the thumb of the trigger hand of a person holding the weapon (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) to penetrate through the thumbhole. stock 300 while firing the weapon. By allowing the thumb through the hole 310, it may avow for a better grip of the weapon to result in a steadier shot.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a bayonet lug 400 holding a bayonet 450 on a weapon. In one example, the bayonet lug 400 may be added to the weapons 100, 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 In one example, the bayonet 450 may also be added. One skilled in the art would understand that the accessories mentioned herein are not the only accessories that can be added to the weapon (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2). One would understand that many other accessories for weapons (not disclosed herein) may be added to the weapon (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2).

In one example, the weapons 100, 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are known as guns for firing projectiles (e.g., bullets) at a high velocity over some distance. Guns are regulated devices which must comply with various state and federal laws that control the manufacture, sale, ownership, modification or usage of guns by individuals. One type of gun that is heavily regulated is an assault weapon. For example, a gun may be classified as an assault weapon if it is a semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine and another feature. In some jurisdictions, for example, an assault weapon is defined as a semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine and one or more of another feature, for example, a pistol grip, a thumbhole stock, a barrel shroud, a bayonet lug, or an attached grenade launcher, etc.

The magazine which is a canister attached to the gun for holding and feeding ammunition to the gun may be detachable or fixed. A detachable magazine is a magazine which is removable, for example, by hand. A detachable magazine facilitates rapid reloading of the gun which may result the gun with the detachable magazine to be classified as an assault weapon.

Therefore, a semi-automatic rifle may need to have a non-detachable magazine, that is, a fixed magazine to be considered a law-compliant semi-automatic gun. One technique for obtaining a fixed magazine uses a bullet button. In one example, a bullet button is a hand tool used to remove a magazine from the gun. An alternate law-compliant fixed magazine design which is more facile than a bullet button or other type of tool-based magazine detachment may be desired for quicker exchanges of an empty magazine with a loaded magazine.

In one example, a detachable magazine is a magazine which is removable by hand without the use of a separate tool. If a magazine can only be detached using a separate tool, it is no longer considered a detachable magazine. Since a detachable magazine facilitates rapid reloading of the gun, usage of a detachable magazine may classify the gun as an assault weapon. Therefore, in some cases, for compliance with both federal and state laws, a semi-automatic rifle must have a non-detachable magazine, that is, a fixed magazine.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example 500 of a magazine latch 510, a spring 560, a bullet button housing 570 and a bullet button 580 combination. In FIG. 5, a portion of the magazine latch 510 includes a thread 520. One technique for obtaining a fixed magazine uses the bullet button. In one example, the bullet button housing 570 is a mechanical device on the magazine (e.g., magazine 140 or magazine 240 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 & 2, respectively) which requires a free-standing tool to remove the magazine (e.g., magazine 140 or magazine 240) from the gun (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200).

For example, the bullet button housing 570 extends beyond the bullet button 580 to prevent direct finger contact, thus requiring usage of a free-standing tool (e.g., a bullet) to detach the magazine. In one example, the need to use a free-standing tool, such as a bullet, to detach the magazine makes the magazine a fixed magazine and the gun is no longer considered an assault weapon. A disadvantage of the free-standing tool is that it slows down the reloading of the gun because of the mechanical operation needed when using the free-standing tool to detach the magazine.

An alternate fixed magazine which is more facile than using a bullet button or other type of tool-based magazine detachment is disclosed herein. The alternate fixed magazine provides full functionality which is law-compliant and has push button-like speed and intuitive use.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example 600 of a magazine latch 610, a magnetic button 670, a housing 650 on the magnetic button 670 with a corresponding magnetic ring 680. In one example, the magnetic ring 680 is free standing from the magazine latch 610. That is, the magnetic ring 680 (being free standing) is not physically attached to the magazine latch 610 or any part of a weapon (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200 as illustrated in FIGS, 1 and 2).

In one example, the housing 650 is non-magnetic. In one example, the magnetic ring 680 is worn on a user's finger and used to dislodge (i.e., detach) the magazine (e.g., magazine 140 or magazine 240 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 & 2, respectively) of a weapon (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2). In one example, the weapon is a gun.

In one example, the magnetic button 670 has a first magnetic field 671 (not shown). In one example, the magnetic ring 680 has a second magnetic field 681 (not shown). The second magnetic field 681 of the magnetic ring 680 and the first magnetic field 671 of the magnetic button 670 are parallel with each other to allow the magazine(e.g., magazine 140 or magazine 240) to dislodge (i.e., detach). In one aspect, parallel magnetic fields means that the magnetic vectors of the two magnetic fields are pointing in the same direction.

In one example, the magnetic button 670 produces the first magnetic field 671 from its outer surface in a first polar normal direction. In one example, the first polar normal direction may be one of two directions relative to the magnetic button's outer surface. For example, the two directions may be opposite to each other (i.e., rotated 180 degrees). In one example, the first polar normal direction is outward relative to the magnetic button's outer surface (e.g., North). In another example, the first polar normal direction is inward relative to the magnetic button's outer surface (e.g., South).

In one example, the magnetic ring 680 produces the second magnetic field 681 from its outer surface in a second polar normal direction (e.g., on a palm side of a human finger). In one example, the second polar normal direction may be one of two directions relative to a magnetic ring's outer surface. For example, the two directions may be opposite to each other (i.e., rotated 180 degrees). In one example, the second polar normal direction is outward relative to the magnetic ring's outer surface (e.g., North). In another example, the second polar normal direction is inward relative to the magnetic ring's outer surface (e.g., South). In one example, the magnetic ring 680 may be worn on a human finger (e.g., index finger, ring finger, etc.).

In another example, a magnetic tool may produce the second magnetic field from a surface of the magnetic tool in the second polar normal direction. In one example, the second polar normal direction may be one of two directions relative to the magnetic tool's surface. For example, the two directions may be opposite to each other (i.e., rotated 180 degrees). In one example, the second polar normal direction is outward relative to the magnetic tool's surface (e.g., North). In another example, the second polar normal direction is inward relative to the magnetic tool's surface (e.g., South).

In one example, the magnetic tool is wearable on the user's arm or body (e.g., a magnetic patch, a magnetic pad, etc.) but is not a finger ring. In another example, the magnetic tool is a magnetic ring that may be worn on a finger or an arm (such as the wrist) of the person holding the weapon. In one example, the magnetic tool is free standing from the magazine latch 610. That is, the magnetic tool (being free standing) is not physically attached to the magazine latch 610 or any part of a weapon (e.g., weapon 100 or weapon 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2).

In one example, the first polar normal direction and the second polar normal direction are parallel (i.e., pointing in the same direction) to allow the magazine to dislodge (i.e., detach). That is, the first magnetic field of the magnetic button and the second magnetic field of the magnet ring (or a magnetic tool) are parallel to allow detachment of the magazine.

In one example, the example 600 shown in FIG. 6 includes thread 620 and a spring 660. In one example, when the magnetic ring 680 touches the magazine housing 650, the magnetic button 670 compresses the spring 660. With the spring 660 compressed, the magazine (e.g., magazine 140 or magazine 240 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 & 2, respectively) can be detached. And, when the magnetic ring 680 is removed from the magazine housing 650 (or removed from the vicinity of the magazine housing 650), the spring 660 expands (i.e., uncompresses). With the spring 660 in its uncompressed mode, the magazine latch 610 will move back to its normal position. In one example, the thread 620 is a continuous helical ridge formed on the magazine latch 610.

In one example, the thread 620 attaches the magnetic button 670 to affix to the magnetic latch 610 with tension applied to the spring 660. This is so that when the magnetic button 670 is depressed by magnetic repulsion and subsequently released, the magnetic button 670 springs back to its default position where the magnetic latch 610 is then closed and the magazine (e.g., magazine 140 or magazine 240 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 & 2, respectively) cannot be removed.

One skilled in the art would understand that, in one example, the magnetic ring 680 must be in direct contact with the magazine housing 650 to cause the spring 660 to compressed. One skilled in the art would understand that in another example, depending on the strength and/or interactions of the magnetic fields (i.e., the first magnetic field 671 and the second magnetic field 681), the spring 660 may be caused to compress with the magnetic ring 680 near the vicinity of the magazine housing 650 without a direct contact of the magnetic ring 680 onto the magazine housing 650.

In one example, the magazine housing 650 includes a housing mouth 651. In one example, the housing mouth 651 is open. In the “open” embodiment, in one example, the magazine housing 650 is open on the side where the housing mouth 651 is located. That is, the housing mouth 651 is a void surrounded by a frame 652 that surrounds the void.

In another “open embodiment”, the magazine housing 650 may include a housing mouth 651 made of the same material as the magazine housing 650 and some mechanism to allow the housing mouth 651 to open. In another example, the magazine housing 650 does not include a housing mouth.

FIG. 7 illustrates the example of the magazine latch, the magnetic button, the housing on the magnetic button with the corresponding magnetic ring shown in FIG. 6 with the housing mouth open. For example, the housing mouth 651 may be attached to the magazine housing 650 with one or more hinges 653 that allow the housing mouth 651 to flip open on one side as shown in FIG. 7. In this example, the magazine housing 650 may also be “closed” by flipping housing mouth 651 to close up the magazine housing 650.

In one example, the magazine housing 650 and/or the housing mouth 651 are made of non-magnetic material (i.e., magazine housing and/or housing mouth are non-magnetic). In one example, the housing mouth 651 may be flipped open. In one example, the magnetic ring 680 includes a non-magnetic ring cover (not shown) to secure against inadvertently compressing the spring 660 if the user's finger wearing the magnetic ring 680 touches the weapon without the intent of compressing the spring 660 to allow the magazine to detach.

In one example, magnetic shielding (not shown) may be added to portion 180, 280 of weapon 100, 200 (respectively shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) to prevent accidental release of the magazine 140, 240. In another example, the magnetic shielding may be added near or on the trigger 190, 290 of the weapon (e.g., weapon 100, 200). In one example, the magnetic shielding blocks the second magnetic field 681 of the magnetic ring 680 (or a magnetic tool) from interacting with the first magnetic field 671 of the magnetic button 670 from causing the spring 660 to compress and the magazine to detach. An example of a magnetic shielding is a ferromagnetic metal. Ferromagnetic metal may include metals that contain iron, nickel or cobalt. Most steels are ferromagnetic metals, and may work well as a magnetic shielding.

The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. A phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b and c. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.” 

What is claimed is:
 1. A fixed magazine apparatus comprising: a magazine latch; a housing coupled to the magazine latch; a spring coupled to the magazine latch; a magnetic button coupled to the magazine latch; and a free standing magnetic tool from the magazine latch.
 2. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic button is housed inside the housing.
 3. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spring is housed inside the housing.
 4. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 3, wherein the spring is adjacent to the magnetic button.
 5. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a housing mouth.
 6. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 5, wherein the housing mouth is a frame surrounding a void.
 7. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 5, wherein the housing mouth comprises at least one hinge.
 8. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 7, wherein portions of the housing mouth is made from the same material as the housing.
 9. The fixed magazine apparatus of claim 8, wherein the housing mouth is configured to flip open on the at least one hinge.
 10. The fixed magazine of claim 1, wherein the free standing magnetic tool is a magnetic ring. 